Roy Keane shocks Martin O'Neill as Man United legend opens up about surprising career highlight

Roy Keane has described his time as assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland as the highlight of his football career.

The Manchester United legend won everything at club level during his 17 years as a player, before stepping up as a manager after hanging up his boots in 2006.

After having been coach of Sunderland and Ipswich, Keane then joined Martin O'NeillHe trained as a coach with the Republic of Ireland between 2013 and 2018, where he served as assistant manager.

This proved to be a successful period as the Irishman helped his country qualify for Euro 2016, while they suffered a playoff defeat to reach the 2018 World Cup.

And it's fair to say Keane enjoyed this time, so much so that he has called it his ultimate football experience.

Appearing on The Overlap's Stay with football In a podcast alongside his former boss O'Neill, the 53-year-old spoke about the surprise highlight of his career.

He said: “I go back throughout my career, my experience with Ireland, with Martin, and particularly my involvement in the Euros, (was) probably the highlight of my career, which sounds strange.”

Keane's revelation here will no doubt surprise many given the great success he experienced on the field.

The most decorated captain in Man United's history, he won the Premier League seven times, as well as lifting the Champions League in 1999, as well as three FA Cup titles.

Despite this, Keane revealed that the atmosphere in the Irish camp during his tenure made it an incredibly memorable period.

He continued: “We always talk about playing; Of course, it's about playing, I love playing.

“But our time with Ireland was probably the highlight. I loved everything about it, the dynamic, the energy, the group.

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“Working with Martin and the other staff members, something happened there. There was a feel-good factor. The boys were decent. We were probably missing an absolute goalscorer.

“We lacked a little quality. All those things. But we got to the European Championship and we missed the (World Cup) playoff. “One of the best moments of my life.”

The surprise revelation certainly left O'Neill surprised, who later expressed his delight at Keane's fond memories of their time working together.

He said: “It's extraordinary for you to say that, for the medals you've won in the game, to think that's the highlight.

“Honestly, that's really lovely to hear.”

While the team spirit that was part of the national team's technical structure left a lasting impact on Keane, his time on the bench alongside O'Neill also brought him success.

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At Euro 2016, Ireland reached the last 16 of a European Championship for the second time in their history, as they secured their place in the last 16 with a memorable 1-0 victory over Italy.

And the former Ireland star who won 67 caps revealed he felt much better prepared for the demands of international football coaching compared to managing a club.

He explained: “It was a good change for me. Different role, different dynamic. I love the flow of international football. You're there for a few weeks, it's intense, and then you take a step back.

“I loved everything about it.”